Junkanoo Results Disputed

Irate Junkanoo leaders left a closed meeting with members of the Junkanoo Corporation furious on Monday evening after claiming that there were inconsistencies in the judging of the Sammy Thompson Boxing Day Parade.

SAXONS WIN - Saxons member “Fast” Eddie Dames puts on a show during the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade early Saturday. (Photo by Omar Barr)

One Junkanoo leader threw his arms up after exiting the Churchill Building, saying that he has left the Junkanoo parade in the hands of the accountants.

The disputed results are a throwback to the controversy that erupted last year following the New Year’s Day win of the Valley Boys. It led to parade officials delaying the announcement of the results of the Boxing Day Parade held on Saturday.

One parade official admitted to the Bahama Journal that there were inconsistencies with the judging and several scores had not been tallied.

It now lies in the hands of accounts whether the Saxons Superstars is the rightful winner of the parade.

According to some of the Junkanoo group representatives, the accountants should pick up the inconsistencies with the results.

A Junkanoo leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that if the accountants’ calculations differ from the judges, the Boxing Day results could be overthrown and One Family could be declared the official winners.

The unofficial results named Shell Saxons Superstars as the Category ‘A’ winners with 2,176 points. In second place was One Family with 2,166 points; in third place was Prodigal Sons with 1,977; in fourth place was Valley Boys with 1,939 points; fifth place went to Roots with 1,798 points and sixth place went to Music Makers with 1,330.

In the ‘B’ Category, Fancy Dancers won with 321 points. One Love Soldiers captured second with 317 points; Colours placed third with 293; Conquers for Christ won fourth with 292; Congoes placed fifth with 288 points; and Chipman Knights won sixth placed with 286 points.

Some Junkanoo group leaders charged that the tally sheets for various categories were not in the judge’s package, which contributed to the lowest scores being recorded in Junkanoo history for ‘A’ groups.

The unofficial Boxing Day results were announced on Saturday evening at Arawak Cay.

Junkanoo leaders are also claiming that only two categories were judged during the parade, which included Best Music and overall performance.

Another controversy arose when several of the judges walked off Bay Street after discovering that they were not going to be judging the ‘A’ category, according to Junkanoo group officials who spoke with the Bahama Journal.

They explained that 67 judges were scheduled to judge the parade.

One Junkaoo leader claimed that only one judge was left to judge the ‘B’ category and only three judges were able to judge Shirley Street, overall.

Chairman of the Junkanoo Corporation management board, Kenneth Andrews, who chaired the meeting on Monday, remained tight-lipped on the matter.

Mr. Andrews told the Bahama Journal that the unofficial results could not be released due to several of the scores being omitted from the final sheet.

He explained that after writing in some of the results in pencil, he could not release a final copy of the unofficial results, but planned to do so at 9 am today.

Meanwhile, several leaders charged that the New Year’s Day Parade may experience some hiccups as some judges may not show up.